Back in December, tons of trash and debris were illegally dumped in a lot owned by St. Stephen AME Church on City Park Avenue. To fix remove the garbage, the trustee called us and we were able to help the church get the area cleaned up.

Back in December, tons of trash and debris were illegally dumped in a lot owned by St. Stephen AME Church on City Park Avenue. To fix remove the garbage, the trustee called us and we were able to help the church get the area cleaned up.

With the average smart phone plan now costing nearly $100 a month, many people are looking for ways to lower that bill. One way is to switch to prepaid, but there are some downsides with one popular plan.

Walmart has gotten tons of publicity, along with several million new customers, for its Straight Talk prepaid wireless plan. Why not? It's less than $50 a month.

But a new review finds some downsides you need to know.

$45 a month, even for iPhone or Galaxy

Tired of paying $100 a month for your smart phone? Walmart's prepaid Straight Talk - run by TracFone - offers unlimited talk, text, and data for just $45 a month. You can even get an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy.

The website Deal News just surveyed hundreds of customers and says Straight Talk is "ideal for light smart phone users." But it points out that Straight Talk throttles, or slows down, your data once you hit 2.5 gigs a month.

If you watch a lot of videos, you may get frustrated.

Doesn't That Stink?

From the "doesn't that stink" file comes what Deal News calls the biggest downside of Straight Talk: customer service. It says you'll often wait 30 minutes to reach an agent. However, Deal News says you may get quicker responses from e-mail or social media.

According to Deal News, Straight Talk still is a great deal, as long as you don't expect Verizon or AT&T style customer service.

Bottom Line

Straight Talk will save you money over a conventional cell phone plan. Just realize that it comes with a few drawbacks.